Last week in Castellón: Córdoba heartbreak

Castellón lose 2-3 to Córdoba, fans turn out in force and an addition to the board of directors.

THE GAME: CASTELLÓN 2-3 CÓRDOBA

FIRST HALF

Castellón opened the game pressing high as usual, putting pressure on Córdoba in their own half during the first few minutes. However it was the visitors who scored after 11 minutes, with a well worked move that sliced through the Castellón defence and left Antonio Casas with an easy tap in after the ball was squared by Diarra.

Down but not out, Castellón responded with a spell in the opposition half, and a dangerous move that saw Suero fall over in the penalty area, with the crowd adamant the Castellón man had been pushed. There was a moment of panic for the visitors on the half hour mark, as Douglas played in Suero with a fantastic through ball, but he couldn’t find the net with the keeper in no man’s land. The home side had another penalty shout turned down with five minutes to go, this time on De Miguel, to the fury of Castalia.

In dramatic end to the half, Castellón equalised through Suero, after a great run and pass by Traoré, and both substitute Iago Indias and manager Dick Schreuder saw red for protesting the refereeing decisions when the half had ended.

SECOND HALF

The second half began with an injury for Castellón as Calavera pulled up and had to come off after just five minutes, with Villahermosa entering in his place. De Miguel had the first chance of the half, but his header went just over after he was left unmarked. Mendes curled an effort just wide for Córdoba a few minutes later in what was a hard fought start to the first half, with both sides coming forward.

A great chance for Castellón came with 15 minutes to go, when a long goal kick found Medunjanin, but the Bosnian fired over from close range. The albinegros kept pushing though, and eventually found an answer.

After a nice cutback by Villahermosa, Medunjanin’s placed shot was turned in by Córdoba’s Diarra to send Castalia wild, but the joy would abruptly end there.

In a nightmare few minutes of extra time, Diarra made amends for his own goal by heading home a cross from Zalazar, and Simo turned in a cross from Calderón to give Córdoba a last gasp win and enrage Castalia. The referee, who also missed a blatant handball by Córdoba in their own box a minute before the winning goal, made himself the protagonist of the game for all the wrong reasons with a number of poor decisions.

Unfortunately for Castellón, the result blows the title race wide open, with Ibiza and Córdoba now within three points and Málaga within five.

LINEUPS

CD Castellón: Crettaz, M. Sánchez, Alberto, Salva Ruiz, Douglas (R. Sánchez 74), Calavera (Villahermosa 49), Lottin, Traoré, Suero (Óscar Gil 87), Medunjanin, De Miguel

Córdoba: Marín, Albarrán, Lapeña, Matías, Calderón, A. Sala (Isma Ruiz 74), Diarra, Carracedo (Simo 74), Kike M. (Toril 90), Mendes, Casas (Zalazar 79)

Goals: Casas 12, Suero 45+3, Diarra og 82, Diarra 90+1, Simo 90+5

Referee: Albert Avalos Martos

Attendance: 13,047

DICK’S THOUGHTS

“I really don’t understand anything [about the sending off]. I asked “Porque roja”, that was the first yellow. I then walked to the sideline and told the fourth official that 1-1 was justice. That was the second yellow.”

“We had a good chance on the counter. We played a good game against a very strong opponent. You see what can happen if you make one or two mistakes yourself.”

“It’s normal the players are not happy. Tomorrow is a new day, and we have to go on”

THE NEWS

Fans receive team bus in spectacular pre-game atmosphere

As with most key games at Castalia, there was a phenomenal pregame atmosphere, with both sets of fans out in force. The team bus was received in style (see video below) two hours before kickoff, with the Calle Huesca packed and loud. Several hundred fans made the journey from Córdoba, and contributed to the fantastic reception.

A change on the board of directors

At the beginning of the week, the club announced a change to the board of directors, as head of legal Alberto González joined the board. With the club looking to expand and urgently improve the stadium situation, it is a logical move. It is “an internal promotion that underlines the club's commitment to strengthening and expanding our plans for this new phase”, the statement read.

THE STATS

5 - Over both games, the number of goals Córdoba scored against Castellón. Should the teams finish level on points, Córdoba would therefore finish above.

343 - The number of days Castellon went undefeated at Castalia in the Primera RFEF. Their last home loss had been against Calahorra last year.

8 - Castellón’s league position counting only the second round games so far.